Oldest intact DNA found

[shadron]

The oldest piece of DNA found, by far, was located inside one of those bubbles of ancient water enclosed within salt deposits> The strand is estimated to be 419 million years old, back when bacteria ruled the earth (indeed, it does so today, but back then it was top of the food chain, as well as it's only inhabitant).

http://news.discovery.com/earth/oldest-dna-bacteria-discovered.html

[Piscivore]

...back when bacteria ruled the earth (indeed, it does so today...)

I've got 250 mg of Augmentin coursing through my system that begs to differ. :)

Still, very cool discovery.

[paximperium]

I've got 250 mg of Augmentin coursing through my system that begs to differ. :)

Still, very cool discovery.
Just wait for the revenge of the Augmentin resistant bacteria.

[Subduction Zone]

I would hardly call bacteria at the top of the food chain back then, unless you consider them to be on top now. If it was at the upper end of their age estimate it would have put the source at the end of the Silurian. There were trilobites, gastropods, brachiopods, and bony fishes developed during the Silurian. During the next period, the Devonian, lobed fishes developed early and by the end early land walking animals arose.

[shadron]

I would hardly call bacteria at the top of the food chain back then, unless you consider them to be on top now. If it was at the upper end of their age estimate it would have put the source at the end of the Silurian. There were trilobites, gastropods, brachiopods, and bony fishes developed during the Silurian. During the next period, the Devonian, lobed fishes developed early and by the end early land walking animals arose.

Oops, sorry. You're right.

[LarianLeQuella]

This is pretty cool indeed. Not only that apparently some of the bacteria came out of "hibernation" on the buffalo skin, but seemed to do just fine in this day and age. Had the salt loving niche sort of gone empty for a bit? And how does this DNA measure up to other bateria's DNA? The whole genetic clock or drift type of information contained in the structure would be pretty amazing I would think.

[69dodge]

DNA from 419-million-year-old bacteria may have belonged to the descendants of the world's first life forms.

The writer of that sentence is a descendant of the world's first life forms...